Juvenile Black Marlin on the Bazaruto Archipelago

Post author:Shonalanga
Post published:December 13, 2024
Post category:Captains Log
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Juvenile Black Marlin on the Bazaruto Archipelago

Juvenile Black Marlin on the Bazaruto Archipelago: Small Juvenile Black Marlin on the Bazaruto Archipelago – its known that the area can offer consistent year-round Marlin fishing and that, between September and December of every year, is one, of only a couple destinations in the World that can deliver seriously giant Black Marlin fishing – we talking BIG, over the mark fish!

Having said this and because this is the only known spawning ground for those big Black girls in the Indian ocean, we also get the other side of the spectrum. And that is seriously juvenile fish that can aggregate in some serious numbers around the archipelago.

Small Juvenile Black Marlin on the Bazaruto Archipelago can show up anytime of the year but, along with the big specimens seem to be more prolific from August to January and then again from late April to mid mid-June.

In November we had the privilege of fishing with the Bad Company operation for a couple days and although we had a couple of fish around 500, we experienced a flurry of little guys catching a few one of which was a real cutie of around 10 kilos!!!

August, just before the heavy tackle season is known for juvenile fish that average around 80 to 140 pounds, we have had the same aggregations in April and May. That is when we start our sailfish run and I remember a few years ago having them mixed up on these sailfish pack attacks. We have also had them thick in January and they really can show up anytime of the year.

But, in the second half of this year big fish run from early to mid-November and all the way into December we had really small Black Marlin show up around the Archipelago and the San Sebastian peninsula in exceptional numbers.

Encounters with these little guys are mostly in the shallow water and somehow of a side track while making bait before heading out in search of bigger models.

And of course, also on the vessels fishing light tackle for general game fish.

But we have seen some real small ones and although mostly in the 20 to 40 kg range some of those little fish these last few weeks have been as small as 10 kilos and they are just so pretty, acrobatic, and awesome to catch on the ultra-light tackle or spinning rods and its absolutely amazing to see so many around the archipelago.

But amazingly we have also been having them out deeper while looking for their mummy´s and the aggressiveness and gluttony on these little guys as to be seen to be believed as they try and take lures and baits meant for fish seriously bigger than them… by a factor of 10!!!

In the last few weeks, we had a number of days where we raised more than 5 and up to 9 of these little guys amongst the bigger specimens out in deeper waters.

The Osman gang fished with us again on the 38ft Drop Your Rods in late November. On their last trip they got some seriously good sized fish on the heavy tackle. This time they opted to do some light tackle game fishing and where rewarded with a good number of Juvenile Black Marlin on the Bazaruto Archipelago as well as some other diversity of game fish, including sailfish, king mackerel, tuna and bonnies, dorado and the best of all this 127cm brute of a GT below on very light tackle!!!

Nice sailfish released by the Osman party, one of many good species they caught in between releasing Juvenile Black Marlin on the Bazaruto Archipelago

The week after David Scott also did a couple days on the Game Changer and again had the privilege to meet up with these Bazaruto light tackle terrorists which take speed and flight after being hooked by the boat.

He also got some other game fish on the light tackle and on the last afternoon went out wide for a couple hours to try and connect to a nice one and had two Blues on the lures, missing one and unfortunately pulling the hook on another decent one well into the fight!

They can be tricky to hook if you are not specifically targeting them and, in all honesty, this time of year we got bigger things in our minds but if one was to target them specifically on appropriate baits, light leaders and small circles on ultra-spinning tackle the action could be fast and super fun!